Curriculum

Students with multiple disabilities study the Core Curriculum along with their classmates, with accommodations such as tactile aids, alternate formats, and assistive technology. In addition, students with blindness or visual impairment require the Expanded Core Curriculum, with subjects unique to their needs: mastering appropriate literacy mediums, Orientation & Mobility skills, social interaction, leisure, and independence skills. In this section, families and educators will find information on classroom subjects in both the Core and Expanded Core Curriculum for students with multiple disabilities.

Educational Programming for Deafblind Adolescents: Preparation for Transition to Adult Life, National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness
http://www.tr.wou.edu/ntac/documents/conference/2004_hilton_perkins/EdProgforDB.swf
Mary Zatta's Power Point presentation outlines the range of curricular approaches for adolescents who are deafblind and discusses the considerations in selecting a particular curriculum.

Core Curriculum

The Core Curriculum for Blind and Visually Impaired Students, Including Those with Additional Disabilities, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Education/corecurric.htm
Phil Hatlen defines and discusses the importance of the Core Curriculum and the Expanded Core Curriculum, with explanations of each element of the latter.

Making Abstract Core Curriculum Accessible to Students with Severe and Multiple Disabilities, The Access Center – Webinar Archives
http://www.k8accesscenter.org/online_community_area/Webinar.asp
Dr. June Downing identifies "ways to make even abstract core curriculum relevant and meaningful to those students with labels of significant and multiple impairments." This site has links to a Power Point presentation, related resources, and the Webinar recording.

Expanded Core Curriculum

Communication Systems

Communication Matrix
http://www.communicationmatrix.org/en/
This is "an assessment tool designed to pinpoint exactly how a child is currently communicating" and to assist in creating communication goals. This user-friendly online version is aimed at parents whose children have severe multiple disabilities; available in English and Spanish.

AAC Strategies for Young Children with Vision Impairment and Multiple Disabilities, California School for the Blind
http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/Us_Eu/conf/csun_98/csun98_135.htm
In this article on Augmentative/Alternative Communication (AAC), Marjorie Goldware and Marsha Silver  present "the issues central to communicative/cognitive development in the visually impaired/blind child with multiple impairments" and review devices that can assist in communication.

Let's Talk: Conversations with Children who have Multiple Disabilities, American Printing House (APH)
http://blindcooltech.aph.org/info/info10.mp3
In this one-hour podcast, Marianne Riggio explains "basic elements of a good conversation and strategies for initiating conversations with children who are at the 'not yet verbal' or early levels of communication development."

Beginning to Use an Object Calendar, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Education/early-childhood/object-calendar.htm
This simple introduction to setting up and using an object calendar lists the steps in the first level of the process.

Communicating and Connecting with Learners who are Deafblind: Developing Communication Portfolios, Iowa Deafblind Project
http://www.iadeafblind.k12.ia.us/docs/MatchMaker-compressed.pdf
The New England Center Deafblind Project offers this practical guide to creating a communication portfolio. It includes sections on the family's perspective, socialization, educational practices, adaptations, sample forms, and much more; 120.pp.

Communication Symbols, Project SALUTE
http://www.projectsalute.net/Learned/Learnedhtml/ComSymbols.html
Project SALUTE describes the hierarchy of communication symbols, from most abstract to most concrete. Color photographs of each of the eleven symbols are included; available in English and Spanish..

Non-Verbal Communication: Cues, Signals and Symbols, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Education/vmi/nonverbal.htm
J.C. Durkel describes different types of non-verbal communication, including cues, signals, and symbols. It compares the hierarchy of visual symbols from objects to the printed word with a similar hierarchy for movement, from object to abstract sign.

Let Me Check My Calendar, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/archive/Let%20Me%20Check%20My%20Calendar.htm
Robbie Blaha and Kate Moss explain the advantages of a calendar system for students with deafblindness, an approach that reinforces communication skills and invites the student's participation in the educational process; available in English and Spanish.

Tactile Communication Strategies, Project SALUTE
http://www.projectsalute.net/Learned/Learnedhtml/TactileCommunication.html
This information sheet provides a thorough introduction to tactile communication strategies, including general interaction tips, suggestions for encouraging communication, and requirements for a communication system; in English and Spanish.

Object Cue, Project SALUTE
http://www.projectsalute.net/Learned/Learnedhtml/ObjectCue.html
Project SALUTE explains object cues, a "concrete means of supporting conversational interactions and language development." Included are examples, advantages, disadvantages, and specific strategies; available in English and Spanish,

Touch Cues, Project SALUTE
http://www.projectsalute.net/Learned/Learnedhtml/TouchCue.html
This information sheet introduces touch cues, including their purpose, examples of their use, considerations, advantages, and disadvantages; available in English and Spanish.

Tangible Symbols, Project SALUTE
http://www.projectsalute.net/Learned/Learnedhtml/TangibleSymbols.html
This introduction to tangible symbols includes a definition, examples, considerations, and a list of advantages and disadvantages; available in English and Spanish.

Tangible Symbol Systems, Design to Learn
http://www.designtolearn.com/pages/ts.htmlThis site offers a wealth of practical information about the use of tangible symbol systems with individuals who don't use abstract symbols or a formal language system. Topics include setting up a system, constructing tangible symbols, and tips from the field.

Tangible Symbol Systems: Making the Right to Communicate a Reality for Individuals with Severe Disabilities, U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) – Ideas that Work, Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students with Disabilities
http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/toolkit/InstPract_tan_sym.asp
Charity Rowland and Philip Schweigert provide an in-depth introduction to tangible symbol systems, including their purpose, and their use for both receptive and expressive communication. They include information about how to get started and how to monitor and promote progress.

Independent Living Skills

Academics Are Not Enough: Incorporating Life Skills in the Curriculum for Children and Youth with Visual Impairments, Council for Exceptional Children – Division on Visual Impairments (DVI)
http://www.cecdvi.org/Postion%20Papers/academics.htm
This position paper by Sandra Rosen affirms that "children and youth with visual impairments require specialized instruction in independent life skills."

It Takes a Team to Teach Independent Living Skills, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/fall06/team.htm
Eva LaVigne and Kate Moss discuss the importance of collaboration when teaching independent living skills; available in English and Spanish.

Learning through Doing, Blind People's Association
http://www.bpaindia.org/lbd-manual%20(1).pdf 
Published in India, this 152-page manual is universally useful for parents and caregivers of children who are visually impaired with additional disabilities. It includes a general introduction, guidelines, checklists of skills, and activities to enhance them; by Blind People's Association in collaboration with the Hilton/Perkins Program. 

Lifeskills - Transition to Adult Life, e-Advisor
http://www.e-advisor.us/workshop/scavenger_hunt.php?fontsize=normal
Nancy Moulton describes a scavenger hunt sponsored by Catholic Charities of Maine, designed to help students transition to adult life by applying their independence skills to practical tasks. Included are Power Point slides, a video of the presentation, and a rating scale for independent living skills.

Toilet Training And Personal Hygiene

Toilet Training Children with Deafblindness: Issues and Strategies, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/summer00/toilet.htm
Craig Axelrod offers specific suggestions for developing a toilet training routine by determining readiness, gathering data, identifying adaptations, and considering appropriate teaching strategies. Specific tips are provided for common problems; available in English and Spanish.

Toileting Tips for Determined Parents! Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/fall02/toileting.htm
Leslie Fansler shares lessons she learned in toilet training her son who is deafblind, including selecting an object symbol, creating a tactile pathway, and identifying appropriate rewards; available in English and Spanish.

Spina Bifida: Managing Bowel Dysfunction in the School-Aged Child, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/summer97/spina.html
Brenda Benner, Health Center Supervisor at TSBVI, discusses spina bifida and the bowel and bladder dysfunction that often accompany it. She lists external interventions, as well as a specific recipe to help to improve control through diet.

Toilet Training – Cerebral Palsy Module, Utah Collaborative Medical Home Project
http://www.medhomeportal.org/issues/index.cfm?issue_id=19&diag_id=95&menu_id=21
This website outlines two specific behavioral models for toilet training. There is also information on the role of the primary care physician, toilet training as a school goal, the home environment, and specific diagnostic groups.

Applying Structured Teaching Principles to Toilet Training, Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication-Handicapped Children (TEACCH)
http://www.teacch.com/toilet.html
TEACCH outlines the steps in toilet training, including assessment, physical structure, establishing a routine and communication system, and troubleshooting. A list of children's books about toilet training is included.

Toilet Training Made Semi-Easy, Down Syndrome: Health Issues
http://www.ds-health.com/train.htm
Kent Moreno lists a protocol for toilet training individuals who have a developmental disability, including data collection, the development of a schedule, cueing, and making the experience in the bathroom a positive one.

Preparing Your Daughter for Her Menstrual Cycle, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/summer99/menstruation.htm
Robbie Blaha and Kate Moss offers seven specific recommendations to help "young women with deafblindness become more independent in menstruation management"; available in English and Spanish.

Dressing

Dressing for Success, Art Beyond Sight
http://www.artbeyondsight.org/teach/dressing-for-success.shtml
"Focused on dressing skills and self-expression through dressing … the [Dressing for Success] project integrates occupational therapy, daily living skills development, and art education to improve academic and functional performance…" Included are goals, objectives, and teaching strategies aligned with New York Learning Standards.

Web-Based Organizations and Internet Resources

Adaptive Clothing, Family Village
http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/at/adaptive-clothing.html
Family Village offers links to many types of resources, including clothing for wheelchair users,  premature babies, and people with incontinence; weighted T-shirts for sensorimotor integration.

Adaptive Clothing, Internet Resource for Special Children
http://www.irsc.org:8080/irsc/irscmain.nsf/sub?readform&cat=Adaptive+Equipment+^^+Technologies&subcat=Clothes&type=Web+Pages
This site has numerous links to companies that sell adaptive clothing, including products for wheelchair users, persons with physical disabilities who have difficulty dressing, swim diapers and incontinence products, and baby shoes that make sounds.

Eating

Expanding Children's Diets, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/summer03/diet.htm
Suzanne Evans Morris explains why many children resist eating new foods and offers guidelines for expanding their diets; available in English and Spanish.

Strategies to Promote Early Eating Skills, State Education Adviser for Deafblindness Education, Queensland, Australia
http://internex.net.au/~dba/eating.htm
Sandy Joint suggests strategies for developing effective eating skills in children with deafblindness who are functioning at developmental levels below twelve months.

Feeding and Swallowing Disorders in Children, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/swallowing/FeedSwallowChildren.htm
ASHA explains the nature of feeding and swallowing disorders, their signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

Web-based Organizations and Internet Resources

New Visions
http://www.new-vis.com/
New Visions offers information to "professionals and parents working with infants and children with feeding, swallowing, oral-motor, and pre-speech problems."

Food Preparation

Get Out in the Kitchen and Rattle Them Pots and Pans, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/summer03/kitchen.htm
Kate Moss and Holly Cooper explain how cooking activities foster a variety of skills. They offer suggestions for cooking with assistive technology, setting up a classroom kitchen, recipes, and modifications; in English and Spanish.

Sleeping

Helping You and Your Child Get a Good Night's Sleep, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/summer01/sleep.htm
Craig Axelrod discusses sleep problems and intervention techniques for children with disabilities; available in English and Spanish.

Sleep Problems – Cerebral Palsy Module, Utah Collaborative Medical Home Project
http://www.medhomeportal.org/issues/index.cfm?issue_id=100&diag_id=95&menu_id=21
This webpage offers guidelines for determining the best intervention for sleep disorders; includes links to related resources and articles.

Safety

Safe and Sound: A Safety Awareness Curriculum for Students Who Are Visually Impaired and Have Multiple Disabilities, California School for the Blind
http://www.csb-cde.ca.gov/Documents/Safe%20and%20Sound%20Student%20Safety%20Curriculum%20Dec%202007.htm
This curriculum addresses the unique vulnerabilities and safety needs of children with visual impairments and additional disabilities. Topics covered include identifying and escaping from danger, avoiding sexual abuse, assault, and robbery.

Career Education -- Prevocational Skills

My Older Brother Daryl
http://www.ed.arizona.edu/rosenblum/inspire/daryl.htm
Written by the brother of a teen with deafblindness, the author makes an excellent case for teaching functional skills that are founded in basic concepts and supportive of daily living tasks.

Creating Vocational Portfolios for Adolescents with Significant Disabilities, Perkins School for the Blind
http://support.perkins.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Webcasts_schooltowork
This webcast presented by Mary Zatta uses closed captioning and a power point presentation to describe the purpose and components of a vocational portfolio.  It lasts approximately 30 minutes and addresses the how's and why's of vocational portfolios, including development processes and effective contents.

For more information on this topic, see this title from Perkins Publications: School to Work - Developing Transitional Portfolios for Students with Significant Disabilities 

How to Create a Winning Video Resume, California Deaf-Blind Services
http://www.sfsu.edu/~cadbs/27VideoResume.pdf
This 2-page fact sheet lists tips for creating a video resumé, a particularly effective way to document the  abilities and achievements of students with severe disabilities. 

Student Portfolio: A System for Documenting the Strengths, Needs, and Abilities of Students Who Are Deaf Blind, Kansas State Board of Education
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/16/08/19.pdf
This guide focuses on the development of student portfolios to document "accom­plishments, needed adaptations, modifications, and accommodations, including transition to the next environment or postsecondary environments."

Transition

See "Transition" section: http://www.perkins.org/clearinghouse/transition/